Drayer’s Mariners Observations: Kelenic, Julio, injury concerns and more

Observations! Get your observations! With simply 21 days of spring coaching remaining, a verify in with just a few fast Mariners observations from Peoria.

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A part of the excitement this yr is it was the primary “regular” yr since COVID. No shortened spring, no restrictions and naturally, no ready for the CBA to get hammered out.

Regular, proper? Not fairly.

World Baseball Traditional gamers leaving camp undoubtedly leaves a mark each in clubhouses and video games. Sure, the sight of Julio Rodríguez jogging from subject to subject within the morning drills is missed, as is the voice of Eugenio Suárez within the clubhouse. It will likely be awhile earlier than we get handled to a different Teoscar Hernández monster bomb or pay a little bit further consideration to the backup, backup catcher (Harry Ford) when he comes into the sport.

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As for these video games, I believe with extra jersey numbers within the 90s as replacements. These rules-shortened video games may decelerate a bit within the later innings as now we have usually seen. Not fairly “regular” spring coaching but, however no query, a lot, a lot better. We gained’t even complain concerning the climate.

On the sphere, Jarred Kelenic has been the speak of camp. And as I’ve mentioned each time I’ve been requested on air about what this all means, we gained’t know till the the video games rely.

Kelenic has handed each take a look at outdoors of massive league video games. He’s immensely proficient, ridiculously sturdy, baseball sensible. It’s all there. He must make it work, and work persistently on the huge league degree.

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The brand new guidelines may assist. It took all of two video games to see how the pitch clock may benefit Kelenic by giving him much less time to consider an offending name or stew a couple of miss on his half. You don’t like the decision? No time to debate with the umpire, you need to get proper again within the field and concentrate on the subsequent pitch. Possibly you’ll hit a homer, which is strictly what he did in that state of affairs against the Royals.

One other profit – the shift restrictions. Mariners supervisor Scott Servais shared an remark late final week.

“(Kelenic) had form of a tough begin to the sport, he’s 0-for-2, within the third at-bat he simply form of hits a dribbler that goes into proper subject,” he recalled. “Everyone knows that’s an out final yr. However what that does to the participant’s mindset, he’s out of the sport, he’s leaving the ballpark, he went 1-for-3 right now, it was nice.”

“Within the final handful of years, that’s all the time an out and he walks house, 0-for-3 (pondering), ‘That is brutal, I suck, what do I want to vary tomorrow,’” Servais added. “It’s loopy how that one little factor, that end result, can actually change how you are feeling about your self while you depart the ballpark and while you come into the park the subsequent day.”

And what about Julio? A well-liked query with a boring reply: Julio has been Julio.

No huge modifications are obvious, apart from the massive flock of followers who comply with his each transfer on the complicated and within the stadium.

I requested Julio on the finish of the season what particularly he would go to work on this offseason. He answered it might be a shock. When he arrived in camp he mentioned his focus was simply to get get higher at the whole lot he does, which was in all probability spot on after his profitable rookie marketing campaign.

Final offseason, he attacked the pace facet of his sport and it confirmed within the first half as he stole 21 bases. Within the second half, nonetheless, he tried simply six steals. There have been numerous causes for this, the whole lot from the brand new component of pace was not a shock to opponents to the danger/reward issue changing into extra actual after a slide into second base July 17 in Texas induced him to overlook 4 video games popping out of the All-Star Recreation. When requested if we may see extra stolen bases this yr because of the new pitch clock guidelines, Julio answered with a “We’ll see.”

Off the sphere has modified drastically for Julio, who’s clearly being put ahead as a face of baseball. He has by far been the most-requested participant on the workforce on the subject of interviews. Each nationwide outlet that visits camp needs to sit down down with him. GQ was in camp for 2 days to do a characteristic. He, in fact, has picked up numerous major endorsements, and fulfilling these duties takes time as properly.

He does appear to handle it properly, going out of the way in which to make sure it doesn’t intervene along with his work. And in Arizona, he has nonetheless been taking time to signal for the youngsters which is clearly necessary to him however the crush it might seem is simply starting, and good to get a deal with on it early.

One other query I get requested usually is what are the considerations at this level? There are certainly just a few.

With three weeks left of video games, it’s calendar watching time for the handful of “we’re holding them again, slow-playing, and coming off damage” guys.

Most important, Dylan Moore, whose position has expanded this yr as he’s anticipated to get loads of at-bats at second base in opposition to lefties and supply J.P. Crawford an elevated variety of days off at shortstop.

Moore, who’s coming off a December core surgical procedure, has been taking part in most exercises and will return to video games sooner or later subsequent week. That ought to give him sufficient Cactus League – and backfield – at bats to be prepared. What you don’t need to see is a setback.

Tommy La Stella was acquired with the thought he may present backup at third base, but he has but to look in video games due to a shoulder problem. He did step in in opposition to Andrés Muñoz in a dwell BP session Monday and is scheduled to DH Thursday in opposition to Crew Canada, however shouldn’t be but able to throw. The priority degree of the supervisor?

“We’re an extended methods away,” mentioned Servais. “I believe he can be OK. All the pieces is monitoring fantastic. We definitely need to get him right into a sport. We aren’t searching for him to play defensively on a regular basis, however that definitely must be an possibility once we open the season.”

The Mariners are very quick in depth at shortstop and third base. And whereas Moore may fill in on an on a regular basis foundation if wanted, he has his personal necessary position to fill.

The Mariners are recognized to nonetheless be speaking with different golf equipment and the sensation is each internally and externally they’ve one other transfer in them. It’s not more likely to be a significant one, however maybe one thing extra akin to the Tom Murphy deal on the finish of spring coaching in 2019. Regardless, it will likely be good to get La Stella on the sphere and a few questions maybe answered.

On the pitching entrance, Paul Sewald is up and working after his gradual begin. Muñoz checked out of his dwell BP session with no points and is scheduled for a pair extra. Figuring out that Muñoz gained’t want a lot to prepare for video games, and he has appeared good and proven good velocity in his bullpens, the Mariners need to be extremely cautious in bringing him again after foot surgical procedure.

One concern with Muñoz would be the pitch clock as he was one of many slowest relievers for the Mariners. Keep in mind these lengthy, lumbering walks across the mound? Some say he wanted the additional time due to the foot/ankle state of affairs he was coping with. We will see.

That can carry me to the final remark or thought from early on. In studying concerning the adjustment to the pitch clock in different camps it might seem on the pitching finish it has been pretty seamless for the pitchers. It will likely be attention-grabbing nonetheless to look at the relievers and the clock as soon as the season begins as there may be merely no approach to replicate in-season leverage in spring coaching. There can be related moments for starters, however for leverage relievers it will likely be nearly each time they enter a ballgame and their first leverage expertise with the clock can be in video games that rely. I might think about it will likely be extra of an adjustment for them, coming in chilly, than the starters. One thing to maintain an eye fixed open for positive because the season begins.

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